Remote thermally-controlled door closer



June 30, 1925. 1,544,396

w. K. HENRY REMOTE THERMALLY CONTROLLED DOOR CLOSER Filed Nov. 11, 1922 if? 4 I 26 a p 2 4 .m M QI A i L Z4 awvemtoz 46 49 .28; +6 W/zL/A/y K. HEN/W Patented June 30, 1925.

HPATENT or FlCE.

WILLIAM K. HENRY, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN HARDWARE CORPORATION, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A COBPPRATION OF CONNECTICUT.

REMOTE THERMALLY-CONTROLLED DOOR CLOSER.

Application filed November 11, 1922. Serial No. 600,261;

T 0 all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, WILLIAM K. HENRY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Remote Thermally-Controlled Door Closers, of which the following is a full, clear and exact description.

My invention relates to door closers, and more particularly to door closing checks of the type which are capable of holding the door open when the door is opened to a predetermined degree, andof releasing and closing the door in the event of fire; and has for its principal object to provide a novel and improved door check of this type which is simple, strong and durable in construction, and reliable in operation.

The several features of the invention will be clearly understood from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a door check embodying the features of the invention in their preferred form, the door check being shown applied to a swinging door and the door case being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a similar view but with the door shown open; i

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same, and in addition showing a portion of the ceiling of the room in section;

Fig. 4: is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale and partly in elevation, taken on the line 41 of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail sectional views taken on the lines 5'-5 and 66, respectively, of Fig. 4.

The door check illustrated in the drawings is shown applied to a swinging door 2 and a door case 4:. The door checlrcomprises a casing 6 which lssecured to. the

door. The casing 6 is of a common construction and contains a helicalspring (not shown) surrounding an arbor or shaft 8. The spring is held under proper tension by means of a locking disk 10 surroundingthe upper end of the shaft, and a pawl 12 carried by an actuating arm 14 and adapted to engage one of the notches 13 in the periphery of the disk. The actuating arm 14 is secured at one end to the up er end of the shaft 8 above the looking risk 10.

it is fully opened or opened to a predetermined degree. To provide for this a chamber 18 is formed on the under side of the arm 14 and extends longitudinally of the arm. The end portionof the interior of the chamber 18 directed toward the axis of the shaft 8 is reduced in diameter to'provide a bearing for a slidable detent 20. An anti-friction roll 22, mounted'on the outer end of the detent 20, is adapted to enter a cooperating locking recess or notch 24 in tanner a projection 26 on the casing 6 when the door is swung open. The detent is provided with a head 28 thatcooperates with a shoulder 30 on the interior ofthe chamber 18 to limit the extent of the outward movement of the detent. "The head 28 is U- shaped and the interior of the chamber 18 back of the shoulder 30 is of a corresponding shape so as to cooperate therewith to prevent the'detent from turning, which insures the roll 22 being held in proper angular position at all times so as to enable it toproperly engage the notch in the projection 26. The detent 2O is urged outwardly by means of a coiled spring 32 arranged in the chamber 18. The coiled spring-32 is engaged by an abutment or nut 35L which substantially fits the U-shaped portion ofthe interior of the chamber 18 so as to be held from rotation but permitting longitudinal movement thereof inthe chamber. Anadholding the adjusting screw from axial movement, but permitting rotary movement thereof to enable the spring 32 to be adjusted, the screw 36 and the nut34c constituting I an adjustable abutment for the.

spring.

'Exoept as hereinafter described, the parts above referred to. may be and preferably are the same as the corresponding parts of the door check illustrated and, described inmy copendin'g application, filed of, even, date herewith Serial Number 600,260.

In theillustrated construction thermally controlled means issprov-ided whichris adapt:- ed to be connected, With the ceiling of the room in Which the doom check is located for;

V holding the moveable abutment comprising the adjusting: screw 361 from: out-Ward moveinentunden normal conditions was to main.-

ta'i-n thedetent spring 32. under tension; but

which; when the temperature about the up per part-of the room reaches a predetermined degree, as inrthe, event of: fire; releases the adjusting screw 36 so; asto' relievethe tension ofrthekspring 3th,; tlius-enablingthe spring actuated arm 14: to: close; the door.

VBy my invention this ceiling-connection is accomplished in spite ofj'the fact: that the detent: is: mounted; 1on2 tlieaactuating armi 14. AS. shown, this eonnectmg means comprises a lever 38 Whichis pivotally mountediron a fscrew: 4Q on the underside of" the spring actuated; armrli. One end. of theleven38 provided with-a: cam;surface4:l wliiohgis adapted; to, engage; the! end of the adj usting screw: heedi 371; The other armot the lever 38 'proj ectszoutwfirdlyr and a link 42 connects theouter endgof this armiwith achain-44 that phs sesiover aguid'e roll 46rwhichis mounted onthe; pivot. pin; 15 that forms. the pivotalzconneotion between the spring actuateda arm 1412\nd. thelinlelfi. Theotherend of 'theichainw 44L. is connected through an ad- 7 1 justable turn-buckle 48 Withone end of v a fusiblelinkoO. The otherend ofithe fusible lin-l; is;connecteds vith-oneend of a -cablc or wvireffi that is threadedf throughra guiding r eyelet 54 secured to the bracketi IT; The cable+52aextends upwardly from the-eyelet of a. f isiblelink 56., Thefusible link 56' is arranged close to the-ceiling and its-upper 54; and itsaupper end is secured to. one end end,is connected byga cablej58 and a screw eye '60 with the. ceiling.

- ithnthisconstnuct on t vill beiappa rent I that Linden-normal conditions the cam: lever 38 will be r held inposition to .maintaini the V detent springi32 under proper tension. sothat theidetent 20 will cooperatewitlnthe notch; 24 to hold; the door open Whenthe door is fully openedioropened to =a, .predeter- Cil feo

degree, and tori-release the spring;

actuated arm ,vvhentheidooris being closed;

that upon either one; .or both; of the fusible: links .50. a ndi5fi helng fused, that the, lever 38 ,v

will. be. released; and v tlius relieving; the tension of. the. spring 32;. permitting". the= V spring actuated-iarm l hto immediately close"- ther (10 1 It: may ybe jnoted that. the therits" inally controlled means connected withxthe lever arm 3fi isso constructed and arranged" that under'normalconditions the door may be I opened and closed; without separating or I materially disturbing the relative position of the component parts thereof. The detent spring: 32"maybeadjustede itlieraby means of the screw"36xorjby" theturn brickle 4L8,

and the turn-buckle may" also" beemployed to. tighten the thermally controlled means.

As will be evident to those skilled in the 'art my inventio n permits of various mod i fication's Without departing from the spirit thereof or the; secpeioi' the appended claims. What I-fclaim=-is: j L I 1. 'A door check: having; in" combination, .a casing; for attachment to-the door,}a spring aotuatedi arm inovable horizontally aboutthe venticalv axis; 015 said casing,- 5 a; lin'k'pivotally connected with said arm for a connecting said armzto the door? case, a slidable detentmounted on said arm and having its outer-endlarrangeditoiengage an abutment onsaid casing when thesdoeris open;} a 7 spring; for. urging saididfet'ent outwandly, mansmomprismgra leverpivotedon saidiarmrfori maintaining said spring, under tension whenethe lever is held in a. predetermined angular: positionya; guide carriedk by sa'idtspring; actuated arm a and. having its; axis: in alinementr with the axis? of'the pivotal-' connectionbetween. said arm and saith link guiding memberi ar-c range'da adjacent-Lthe axiseof thepivotal con-Q a V motion of, said linkcanddoor case, and a thermally controlled fiexiblea'connection passv mg over said guide and guiding member) i andliavingone end-isecuredto :said leverand its-other end. adapted to be secured"; to the .ico

ceiling for. holding; sai dilever in saidprede termined position. 2. A doon checkhaving; in combination, a

casing for: attachment to the door, f a spring 'j' actuated arm movable horizontallyaboutthe; vertical-taxis of saidicasmga, at-link hav ng one end pivotallyconnected with said; arm and its other end pivotal-1y connectedf vith the ment' on said casing wlienithe doorgi'sfopen, a

rdoorlcase'va detentmoujnted on said; armtand] fhaving oneeridarmngedtqengagean abut- U spring forurging; saidldetent. in a direction f. o. engage. 831d, abutment means compris ng 3 a lever pivoted on said arm forz naintaininggsaidis ring undea'gtension when the le.

ver is'helc in a. predeterminedangular posi j saidi linktand door! case andladapted to' be lever. in s aidl position independently. of the movement: of said. spring actuated arm in eitherdirection,

" .g Aidoorr-clieokliaiving in combination, a I

casing ffori attachmentto theidoolg a spring actuated arm imovablehorizontally, about the vertioalaxis of said casing, a hnk having one end pivotally connected with said arm and its other end pivo-tally connected with the door case, a detent mounted on said arm and having one end arranged to engage an abutment on said casing when the'door is open, a spring for pressing said detent in a direction to engage said abutment, means comprising a member mounted on said arm for maintaining said spring under tension when said member is held in a predetermined position on the arm, and'a thermally controlled flexible connection connected with said spring tensioning member and extending about a point arranged adjacent the axis of said pivotal connection between said link and spring actuated arm and to a point arranged adjacent the pivotal connection of' lVILLIAM K. HENRY.v 

